I just got a luscious photo of Lily (Vinlands Lipurta) in which she was compared to Henri Rousseau's paintings. The garden where she lives is certainly worthy of a Rousseau and so is she.

I have been asked to remove the contents of this blog because of fear.
I acceded to the request.

Canine Good Citizen

As most of you know, I teach several classes at Sportsmen's Dog Training Club ( http://www.sportsmens.net/ )and also take classes there.

Totty and I have taken Puppy Kindergarten, Beginner and CGC classes.

At the end of the CGC class students are supposed to have the chance to take the CGC test and potentially be granted the CGC award.

Unfortunately no one could give us the test because class is on Wednesdays during the day and all the evaluators work.

Of course everyone was disappointed.

Totty did eventually take and pass her test and has been awarded the CGC.

I am now also certified to give the CGC test. I would love to be able to do that next year at the east coast gathering of the AISC.

Some people have asked for the ISIB website information. Here it is: - http://www.icelandicsheepdoginternationalbreeders.com/

It may not come up when you Google it, but you can cut and paste it into your browser and it should work.

We've also started a chat room which is open by invitation only.

Some of us love showing our dogs in dog sports like agility, rally, obedience, tracking, flyball, wrc. Some of us actually use our dogs for their original purpose, herding.

Some of us have had our dogs certified as therapy dogs and we visit schools, retirement homes, hospitals, libraries, etc.

Some of us are hobby breeders and have only one or maybe two litters a year. We all want to keep the wonderful temperament (personality) of our dogs.

All of us like to read the paper, a magazine or a book with our dogs curled up at our feet even if we do nothing organized with them. Our dogs are all pets and members of our families first and foremost.

We all want to be able to share stories and help one another answer questions and solve problems in a safe, non-threatening way.

We want to make this chat room a safe comfortable place for all. We want to make it as easy and as safe as possible for people to enter our room.

People who are rude or who slam or flame one another will not be allowed in the room. People who want to talk politics will be removed.

We are all fairly new to Icelandics but are willing to listen and learn.

Some of the new arrivals will not have any Icelandic Sheepdogs - yet. They are trying to find out if Icelandics are right for them.

Others may have one dog and may be looking for another one as a companion for their current Icelandic or maybe even one day they may decide to join the ranks of hobby breeders.

If you have a dog, it does not have to be purebred or even registered.

We want to help one another make informed decisions by discussing both positive and negative things about our Icelandics.

We will not denigrate a particular breeder or kennel. We will be honest about the pros and cons of the breed. We will explain what to look for and what to avoid whether a person is looking for an adult rescue or a puppy. We all realize that there are no perfect dogs or breeds. However, we want to provide prospective new Icelandic owners and people who want to add another dog relevant information about the importance of hip x-ray tests and eye tests on the parents because we are dedicated to preserving the temperament, health and enormous diversity of our breed.

We want to be able to educate ourselves and others whether we use the dogs for herding, or are pet owners, sports dog enthusiasts, therapy dogs owners, breeders etc.

We do not want to discourage or chastise people who make mistakes. We have all made mistakes and, hopefully, we have learned from them.

We are quite simply trying to be inclusive, not exclusive.

Links and Puppies

I usually have only one litter of Icelandic Sheepdog puppies a year.

Between litters of my own I often get requests for puppies. I prefer not to make people wait until my next litter because I never know when or if it will actually arrive and how many pups will actually be in it.

I have heard of Icelandic Sheepdog litters with as many as nine puppies; one or two pups in a litter is not uncommon. Usually, however, litters number between four and six.

I am always happy to help people find nice puppies from healthy parents. I am also always pleased to help people find what they are looking for if my litter does not have the color, pattern, fur length, gender or temperament they are looking for. Some people are looking for nice agility Icies, obedience Icies, herding Icies, breeding dogs, pets etc. and I am happy to help with those requests as well.

Listed below are some of my favorite kennels if you want to look for yourself. If you cannot Google them, you can paste them into your web browser and find them that way.

www.fagrahvamms.com/

http://grisara.is/english/

www.icelandicdogs.com

www.icelandicsheepdogs.net

www.isheim.net/engelsk%20index.html

www.lokasteinn.com

www.tarawoods.ch/islandhunde.html

www.tkicelandics.ca

www.ullalva.com/index.html

It is not difficult to import/export Icies. Because they are so few and far between, it is sometimes wise to import Icies to get what you want. I am happy to help with the vagaries of the task but most of the breeders listed above have been there and done that already.

There are always great Icelandic puppies to be found. Finding them within driving distance is possible but not easy.

If you are looking for the right puppy and you think Icelandics are the breed for you, I'll help.
jaimehansen1@comcast.net.

It's such a beautiful autumn day that I decided to post some photos taken this morning before I leave for the daytime Rally class I teach at Sportsmens with Jerry Catalina.

Here are some views of the backyard and the dogs in "Watch Me!" pose. They look so good, don't they? Seconds before they were running around and barking at squirrels and hawks.

It looks like it was easy to get them to pose, doesn't it?

ISIB - Imports and Exports - October 2008

Some of the dogs that people in the ISIB have imported or exported are listed below.
(http://www.icelandicsheepdoginternationalbreeders.com/)

ISIB – Imports/Exports*

Official Name
Audurs Dimmalim (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Glifsa (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Gríma (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Háaþóra (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Hringur (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Jesper (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Jónatan (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Kamilla (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Kasper (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Kolur (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Laki (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Skíma (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Skotta (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Soffía (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Tindastól (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Tófa (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Trýna (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Týr (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Vetrar-Birta (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Vetrar-Frosti (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Vetrar-Máni (from Canada to USA)
Audurs Vetrar-Þoka (from Canada to USA)
Bjarki av Isheim (from Norway to France)
Blackstar Snaella Gudridur (from USA to Finland)
Blackstar Snorri Dagfinnur (from USA to Finland)
Blue Zafir Esja Anaegja (from Finland to USA)
Emerald Isle Ari (from USA to Canada)
Fagrahvamms Muninn (from Iceland to USA)
Fagrahvamms Sprútta (from Iceland to Sweden)
Fagrahvamms Spurðann (from Iceland to Germany)
Flúðir Kappi (from Iceland to Canada)
Fossi Strutur (from Iceland to USA)
Gimgölets Jonina (from Sweden to Norway)
Gismo av Isheim (from Norway to Sweden)
Hrösa av Isheim (from Norway to Sweden
Icelunds Askja-Eir (from Sweden to Norway)
Ísi Kappusínó (from Germany to USA)
Kaeta av Isheim (from Norway to Sweden
Kersins Huld (from Iceland to USA)
Kersins Kata (from Iceland to USA)
Kersins Sprutta (from Iceland to Canada)
Kola av Isheim (from Norway to Denmark)
Kveikja Nett-Fruma (from Sweden to Iceland)
Lavandels Mía (from USA to Canada)
Lavandels Vindur (from USA to Canada)
Leiru Sámur (from Iceland to Sweden)
Lundi fra Thytur Stadir (from Holland to USA)
Mikill av Isheim (from Norway to Denmark)
Nelly av Isheim (from Norway to Sweden)
North Skye Kolka (from USA to Finland)
Orri av Isheim (from Norway to Denmark)
Saga av Isheim (from Norway to Sweden)
Salka av Isheim (from Norway to Sweden)
Sámur av Isheim (from Norway to Germany)
Seppi av Isheim (from Norway to Sweden)
Sigga(1) av Isheim (from Norway to Denmark)
Smára av Isheim (from Norway to Sweden)
Svörtin (from Norway to Sweden)
Telpa av Isheim (from Norway to Sweden)
Thordunu Kria (from Iceland to USA)
Tofi av Isheim (from Norway to USA)
Ullälvas Drengur (from Sweden to Denmark)
Ullälvas Eydis (from Sweden to Norway)
Ullälvas Eydis (from Sweden to Norway)
Ullälvas Saeta (from Sweden to Norway)
Ullälvas Seytla (from Sweden to Denmark)
Ullälvas Sigga (from Sweden to Norway)
Ullälvas Skafti (from Sweden to Norway)
Ullälvas Skutla (from Sweden to Finland)
Ullälvas Skvetta (from Sweden to Norway)
Ullälvas Snerrir (from Sweden to Finland)
Ullälvas Soldan (from Sweden to Holland)
Ullälvas Sorti (from Sweden to Finland)
Ullälvas Svertla (from Sweden to Finland)
Ullälvas Syrtla Karin (from Sweden to Norway)
Ullälvas Teitur (from Sweden to Norway)
Vinlands Hildur Hlin (from USA to Canada)
Vinlands Ronja (from USA to Canada)
Vinlands Rúna (from USA to Canada)
Vinlands Sigga (from USA to Switzerland
Vinlands Snerpa (from USA to Switzerland)
Ýrar Garpur (from Iceland to Sweden)

* These are dogs that have been imported/exported to expand regional gene pools.

I just had a Halloween email from some friends in the Pacific Northwest.

Bosi will be three this coming March. Lulu (Ljufa) will be two in May.

I am blessed with the good homes my puppies live in.